Manchester City Bring the Match Day Experience to Virtual Reality and 360 Video

PRESS RELEASE

Tuesday 24th January 2017

Immersive VR content is the first football matchday experience on the Jaunt platform

The experience can also be viewed in 360 on Facebook and YouTube, without a VR device

The Club continues its commitment to providing the most engaging and innovative fan experience possible

Manchester – Manchester City, in collaboration with Jaunt Inc., is delighted to announce the arrival of a new 360° VR fan experience that allows fans to get closer to the matchday action at the Etihad Stadium.

The immersive video captures different moments of the matchday experience and displays them in 360° cinematic virtual reality. Providing exclusive access to the players’ changing room and a first-hand look as the players arrive on the Blue Carpet, whilst also showcasing all the people involved in delivering unforgettable football moments, the digital fan experience is a can’t miss for football fans the world over.

The immersive VR content, the first full football matchday experience available on Jaunt’s VR platform, was filmed using Jaunt’s award-winning Jaunt ONE camera and premium VR technology. Using the highest quality stereo VR for an incredible viewpoint, the VR experience immerses fans in the heart of the action and gives them an authentic, behind-the-scenes look at the matchday atmosphere in the Etihad Stadium.

Diego Gigliani, Senior Vice-President of Media and Innovation for City Football Group said:

“There’s nothing that compares with attending a match at the Etihad Stadium, but the emergence of 360 video and virtual reality has allowed us to capture some of that atmosphere and excitement in ways that weren’t possible in the past. As our fan base continues to grow, both within the UK and globally, we want all of our fans to get a taste for what it’s like to be at the Etihad Stadium – from cheering in the stands and watching players line up in the tunnel to welcoming the team off the bus and standing by-side with the stewards ensuring the crowd’s safety.”

“We hope this pilot on the Jaunt platform reaches both existing and new fans, and reaffirms our commitment to exploring innovative ways of using VR to enhancing the fan experience to Manchester City fans, near and far.”

Dominic Collins, General Manager, EMEA, Jaunt VR, added:

“Working with a prestigious football club like Manchester City has been an amazing experience. The club is the perfect embodiment of the modern football club, and this is a further example of its commitment to innovation in sport.

“The Manchester City Match Day experience perfectly showcases what can be achieved with modern VR, and complements the fast-paced and passion-filled nature of Premier League football. VR is a new opportunity to engage with hundreds of millions of sports fans across the world, many of whom would otherwise never have the opportunity to experience a sports game at this level.”

The VR experience is best viewed via the Jaunt VR App within the Sky section, and is also available across a range of VR platforms, including PlayStation VR, iOS, Android, Gear VR, Google Daydream, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and major desktop browsers. The 360 experience can also be enjoyed in 2D without a VR headset by visiting either Manchester City’s Facebook page or the CityTV YouTube channel.

ENDS

About Manchester City Football Club

Manchester City FC is an English Premier League club whose roots began in East Manchester in 1880 as St Mark’s West Gorton. It officially became Manchester City FC in 1894 and has since then gone onto win the European Cup Winners’ Cup, four League Championship titles, including two Premier League titles, and five FA Cups. Manchester City FC is one of four teams comprising the City Football Group and counts New York City FC, Melbourne City FC and Yokohama F-Marinos among its sister clubs.

Under manager Pep Guardiola, one of the most highly decorated managers in world football, the Club plays its domestic and UEFA Champions League home fixtures at the Etihad Stadium, a spectacular 55,000 seat arena that City have called home since 2003. Today, the Stadium sits on the wider Etihad Campus, which also encompasses the City Football Academy, a world-leading first team training and youth development facility located in the heart of East Manchester. Featuring a 7,000 capacity Academy Stadium, the City Football Academy is also where Manchester City Women’s Football Club and the Elite Development Squad train on a daily basis and play their competitive home games.

About Jaunt Inc.

Jaunt is pioneering the future of creative storytelling through cinematic virtual reality. Founded in 2013, Jaunt is the leading developer of the hardware, software, tools, and applications to enable cinematic VR and put the power of virtual reality in the hands of today’s best content creators. Jaunt works with leading creatives – from brands to artists to filmmakers – to create cutting-edge content accessible across all devices and platforms. Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, the company also maintains a presence in Los Angeles, CA through its studio arm, Jaunt Studios; a European business office in London; and an engineering and development office in Amsterdam. In 2016, Jaunt established Shanghai-based Jaunt China, a VR company formed in partnership with Shanghai Media Group (SMG) and China Media Capital (CMC). Collectively, Jaunt produces branded and original VR content for audiences worldwide. Join @JauntVR on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.